5068 McDonnel Douglas F-4 Phantom II aircraft were built during its production run in the United States, with another 127 aircraft being built by Mitsubishi in Japan. This famous aircraft served with the United States Air Force (USAF), Navy, and Marine Corps, and in many allied countries over a thirty-year span. Later on, a group of retired USAF aircraft would go out in blazes of glory as they were used as full-scale aerial targets for missiles.
Italeri’s 1/48 scale F-4E is a faithful reproduction of the real thing and can be built into a nice showpiece. The model uses recessed panel lines, with the flight controls being a bit deeper than the panel lines. However, one problem that this model suffers from is the mold being designed to represent multiple variants of F-4s. There are extra parts for an RF-4 nose, and the cockpit suffers from simplicity, with the detail consisting of decals superimposed upon semi-accurate dial faces.